All Things Gluten Free
Gluten-Free: a Fad or a Necessity
Living a gluten-free life is a choice to some and a life-long unskippable conduct to others. Let’s do a quick recap: celiacs are intolerant to gluten. The disease is defined by an immune reaction in the small intestine that the body has to gluten, a protein found in foods that contain wheat barley and rye (Scarton 2013). Although there are some levels to the disease, they all share one common thing: having to quickly learn about the types of food they are allowed to eat and those that are redflags and absolutely have to be avoided.
Over the years, gluten-free has become synonymous with bland and tasteless crackers and cookies that to many, seem to be an automatic “healthier” option. Gluten-free options are a necessity but should be approached with caution: it might not be for everyone but should be available to everyone. At Gabfoods, we promise that gluten-free goods that taste just like their wheat counterparts are very much a reality and we’re here to give you a preview into the nutritious and delicious world of all things gluten-free!
Let’s Present the Data
Can you believe that about 1.7% of the global population has been diagnosed with celiac disease?(Singh et al 2018). What may be then more surprising, is that the gluten-free industry has grown more than 136% in the last years (Harvard Health 2021). Certainly this also comes from the fact that almost 6% of the population has gluten sensitivity, which causes a list of symptoms and digestive problems (Anderson 2020).
In any case, people with celiac disease, or those with gluten sensitivity, have to be extremely careful and grow an eye scan for every meal. And somewhat also develop a sixth sense whilst having to cook and meal prep and ensure that tools are 100% uncontaminated with gluten.
What is it Really Like to Live with Celiac Disease?
To dive a little deeper into the daily life of someone who struggles with celiac disease on a regular basis, we interviewed a twenty-five year old who has been living with celiac disease since she was six years old, who not only has a gluten intolerance, but a life-threatening allergy to wheat that can be triggered by the smallest amount of gluten. She explained to us how as long as she can remember, having celiac disease has impacted her life:
“As a kid, when students had birthdays and my classmates’ parents would bring in a birthday cake for the whole class to enjoy, I remember anxiously waiting, hoping they had remembered to bring a gluten-free alternative for me, but on countless occasions I’d have to sit back and watch while my friends ate the cake and celebrated. Everyone would always apologize and I would often get more recess time as a pity gift but honestly all I wanted was to enjoy a slice of cake with all my classmates.
I rarely order in and everytime I go out to eat I always have to ask ‘you’re sure this doesn’t have gluten right, I could actually die you know’ just to make sure that they understand the severity of my situation. I don’t think people realize just how serious celiac disease is, it’s much more than just a little bloating and skin breakouts. Especially if the restaurant has a partially gluten-free menu, I always get weary that there could be cross-contamination with the non gluten-free dishes.
Overtime, I did get used to this lifestyle and I am glad more and more gluten-free options are popping up everyday but I do wish that I could eat out without my immediate health depending on it.”
So Why is Gabfoods Gluten-Free?
In a gist, we firmly believe in providing a dietary experience that is inclusive of everyone. That’s why we decided to make a menu that is 100% gluten-free as it only seems fair to make it a little easier for those who suffer from celiac disease. No one should have to “get used to” sitting out on social events because of their disease. It’s our compromise at Gabfoods, that gluten-free will only be enjoyable and delicious. We want to bring this whole gluten-free experience to your table and show you all the amazing products it can offer in your daily meal plans.
We want to help you get more creative in the kitchen; to shift the focus from what you can’t eat to what you can eat, and we promise we’ll make the experience much tastier than the overly-processed, gluten-free options that line the shelves of your grocery store. So load up your panty with all the types of almond, rice, soy and bean flours, gluten-free oats and cauliflower (because we’ll be making some gluten-free pizza with cauliflower crust) put on your apron and get cooking with us! Also, for days you just don’t feel like cooking, our gluten-free food delivery is all you need for a healthy, delicious and beautiful gluten-free meal.
Gluten Free Crispy Oxtail Rolls
Hard to believe these dishes are gluten-free right?!
Overall, we want the Gabfoods world to be a safe place and a point of inspiration for all things gluten-free and give others the opportunity to learn from it. We hope we can be the voice of those who have ever had to double and triple check that their meal didn’t have gluten or those who simply opted to not eat out with friends out of fear that their food could be contaminated. We promise that on our watch, no one will have to sit out on a birthday cake;) PLUS: Gabfoods gluten-free bakery is coming to Madrid soon!
Chocolate Impossible Cake in our Istanbul Restaurant and soon in Madrid!
Are you ready to step into the gluten-free train with Gabfoods? cause we are!
We’ve got a few recipe ideas up our sleeves already (gluten-free carrot cake, gluten-free oat cookies and gluten-free matcha granola anyone?) but we’d love to hear any more gluten-free recipe suggestions you have down in the comment section below!
Harvard Health. “Gluten: A Benefit or Harm to the Body?” The Nutrition Source, 13 July 2021.
